Written by Tang Buxi, May 4nd, 2008
Caijing is one of the best news magazines in China today. Its primary emphasis is on financial and economic issues, but it also touches upon social and political commentary. Its closest analogues might be the British Economist, or the American Wall Street Journal. I plan on making translated versions of Caijing articles a regular addition to this blog.
A feature article in this month’s issue discusses the challenges and opportunities behind the Beijing Olympics. The by-line reads:
The opportunities and challenges of the Olympics were always two sides of the same coin. Despite external pressures and internal worries, it’s not necessary, nor is it possible, to modify the direction of our future progress.
奥运会的机遇和挑战原本就是一枚硬币的正反面，没必要、更不能因为外部的打压和内部的疑虑，而改变我们前进的方向.
The author helps us take a step back and see the larger view. The Olympics, as well as the events of the past month do indeed represent incredible challenges, but China’s development over the past 30 years can not, and will not stop on the basis of these events.
The Chinese version is here, and the English translation (courtesy of the must-read blog ESWN) is here.
Bing Ma Yong says
this article is full of hollow words like his paper. Everyone can see the challenge.
are the government and people ready if the tourists and athletes pull out Tibetan flags during the game? is there any measure to prevent our angry youth not to beat up if someone dose that?
are the people going to applaud not to boo if a foreign athlete beat Liu Xiang?
Is the Great Firewall going to unblock the sites during the game? And block them again after the game?
are the government and people ready to take the flood of criticism from the thousands of foreign reporters and China haters come in during the game.
all those social problems would be magnified and reported.
And a lot more
the west media and their audience have no interesting in what we achieved over the past 30 years his talking about . they want to see the the dark side, the negative things which are the news we are seeing every day in the west.
Buxi says
I will be at the Olympics, and I personally am also very nervous and concerned about what might happen.
It’s interesting reading some Western blogs and media that discuss the possibility of protests at the Beijing Olympics. Their greatest concern seems to be being arrested by the police. Frankly, I believe if foreign tourists and athletes raise the Tibetan independence flag in Beijing, they will find that the police will quickly become their best friends. The police will be defending them from many very, very angry and hostile citizens.
It’s been encouraging to see some of the humble things that the Chinese government has done to try to approach this issue. Talks with the Dalai Lama, not to mention favorable comments from Hu Jintao on his trip to Japan. I hope this will pay off.
I’m also hoping that many foreign protesters will get a better idea of what China is just by stepping off the plane and being in Beijing.
A half-Tibetan Canadian independence activist visited Beijing in 2007, and some of her Youtube videos capture her impressions:
http://beijingwideopen.org/page/8/
In one of these videos she talks about how overwhelming the “scale” of Beijing is.
I don’t think many of these people recognize the implication of more than a billion people feeling very strongly about a single issue. A Canadian visiting in Beijing will hopefully understand that they’re in a city with about half the population of their entire country.
All we can do at this point is hope. 天佑中华!
Bing Ma Yong says
not too sure any education and policy program are on the way to prevent all those angry react from our citizens. I haven’t seen anything yet. no much time left
Lhadon’s mind is full of hatred towards a nation and people.